7. Crete: Off-Road Quad Safari and Cave Exploring
In the city of Gouves, our group of adrenaline enthusiasts undergoes a safety briefing and receives quad bikes and helmets. The trip does not take place on public roads. The entire route is laid out on dirt roads, olive groves, and rough terrain. On this journey, Tez Tour paid maximum attention to safety! The group moved in a column, with drivers maintaining distance and not overtaking each other. On the way, we encounter small ravines and hills, rocky hills, and clay streams. We ride through olive groves and groves of wild carob trees. As we advance, we get further and further away from civilization. Along the way, there are thickets of impassable Mediterranean shrubs and grass. Our path leads deep into the islands, to the cave of St. Paraskeva (Skotino). On the way to the cave, our convoy of quad bikes moves along the upper edge of the Skotino canyon. The landscapes that open up are simply breathtaking. From a bird's-eye view, we see the bottom of the gorge, where we will pass through thickets of green shrubs and reeds on the way back. While moving in a column, guests can enjoy the views and nature, but for full safety, it is not possible to "squeeze out the maximum" potential of the quad bike. Experienced drivers or adrenaline lovers may have a huge desire to try something more. During the stop near the cave, guests can ride "almost without restrictions" on a wide dirt road. Those who have enough adrenaline can also visit two small mountain churches built right above the entrance to the cave. When the group is ready, the guide hands out headlamps and helmets, takes a large flashlight, and we begin an exciting exploration of the underground world of the Skotino cave. First, we discuss safety techniques and then descend to the bottom of the cave. The entrance is hidden in dense green vegetation, and there is no one around except us. The cave is one of the largest in Crete and Greece, about 10 times the size of the famous Zeus cave. The descent is not difficult. Non-professional cavers only need about 1-1,5 hours to explore the cave's stalactites and stalagmites. After visiting the cave, the group of quad bikes returns to Gouves.